Wi-Fi Alliance, which is an association that promotes popularization of wireless LAN which is represented by Wi-Fi, has standardized specifications called Wi-Fi Direct, according to which pieces of user equipment can directly perform wireless communication without involving an access point.
A case where the pieces of user equipment perform the wireless communication according to Wi-Fi Direct in the related art is described referring to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 illustrates a P2P group that is configured according to Wi-Fi Direct. FIG. 2 illustrates a connection sequence that is involved until the pieces of user equipment perform the wireless communication according to Wi-Fi Direct.
For example, a case is considered where user equipment (hereinafter referred to as connection-available child equipment) 3 which does not currently belong to any P2P group performs the wireless communication on user equipment (hereinafter referred to as child equipment) 2 as child equipment that belongs to a P2P group of user equipment (hereinafter referred to as parent equipment) 1 that operates as parent equipment (a group owner).
In this case, in order for the connection-available child equipment 3 to perform the wireless communication with the child equipment 2, before doing so, the connection-available child equipment 3 needs to be connected to the parent equipment 1 and thus perform authentication processing. In other words, the connection-available child equipment 3 needs to be caused to belong to the P2P group of the parent equipment 1. A specific procedure is as illustrated in FIG. 2.
That is, when in Step S1, the connection-available child equipment 3 transmits a probe request for searching for the user equipment that is present in the neighborhood, the parent equipment 1 transmits a probe response in response to the probe request (Step S2). In the probe response, information on the child equipment 2 that belongs to the P2P group of the parent equipment 1 is included.
The connection-available child equipment that ensures that the child equipment 2 belongs to the P2P group of the parent equipment 1 transmits a provisioning request for requesting for connection to the parent equipment 1 in Step S3.
The parent equipment 1 that receives the provisioning request from the connection-available child equipment 3 leaves it to a user to determine whether or not the connection of the connection-available child equipment 3 to the P2P group of the parent equipment 1 is approved in Step S4. At this point, if an input from the user is present to the effect that the connection of the connection-available child equipment 3 to the P2P group of the parent equipment 1 is approved, key exchange using Wi-Fi protected setup (WPS) is performed between the parent equipment 1 and the connection-available child equipment 3, and the authentication processing using a 4-way handshake that uses the key is performed (Steps S5 and S6).
In this manner, after the authentication processing with the parent equipment 1 is terminated (after the connection-available child equipment 3 is caused to belong to the P2P group of the parent equipment 1), the connection-available child equipment 3 can perform the wireless communication as if the connection-available child equipment 3 were connected directly to the child equipment 2 (Step S7). In addition, in practice, the connection-available child equipment 3 performs the wireless communication on the child equipment 2 through the parent equipment 1.
At this point, as an operation of approving the connection between the user of the parent equipment 1 and the connection-available child equipment 3, there is, for example, a method of pushing down a WPS button that is provided to the parent equipment 1 (refer to PTL 1).